Game Boy Advance classic 'Advance Wars' came out Thursday on Wii U, along with two other titles from the handheld.

Nintendo released the first set of Game Boy Advance titles on the Wii U on Thursday, after a wait that felt like an eternity for fans of the classic handheld.

The games come with a few more added features than previous retro releases, but Nintendo’s first wave of GBA releases are lacking in multiplayer fare.

Of course, it’s noteworthy the games are even available. It’s the first time Nintendo has sold digital versions of games from the last in the Game Boy line. Ten GBA titles were given to early adopters of the 3DS in 2011, which makes it puzzling why they’re only for sale on Wii U right now.

But the Wii U could use some retro love with the slow rollout of its Virtual Console. There’s plenty of GBA on the way this month, with Advance Wars, Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga and Metroid Fusion all coming out Thursday alone.

The games are the same — all three of these first releases won rave reviews in their initial runs, and there’s plenty already written about them. So let’s focus on what’s new.

I went with Advance Wars for this trial, as I haven’t played it in ages and it has multiplayer modes. All the usual Virtual Console features for games from other older systems remain, including the suspend and restore points and the ability to remap the controller.

Nintendo added some GBA-specific features, in part to make up for issues in taking the small resolution of a handheld game to a big screen. There’s an option for “Pixel-Perfect Mode,” which slightly condenses the picture on TV down from full screen (the GamePad remains the same). And any jagged pixels can be smoothed out with a menu option that can also be activated by pressing the right control stick.

But two additions would be great to see across all Virtual Console titles. Along with a digital manual, Advance Wars includes the full original instruction booklet. And with it open on the GamePad, the game can continue on the TV screen. It’s nice if, say, I wanted to read more about the game’s different commanding officers while making a selection.

The original instruction booklet makes for a nifty addition -- and it's easier on the eyes than a digital manual.

There’s also a menu selection to hide the mirrored display on the GamePad and play solely on the TV. The screen stays on — not saving any much-needed battery life, I suppose — but it makes it less distracting.

For these nice touches, Nintendo missed a major chance with multiplayer. The original Advance Wars supported battles for up to four GBAs linked by cables. But it doesn’t work in the Wii U version, despite the mode remaining in the game.

The option to 'link' with other players remains in 'Advance Wars,' but it's not going to happen.

Multiplayer is still workable, with one mode allowing two players to pass the GamePad back and forth, which is fine for turn-based game.

But it’s disappointing to see multiple controllers not supported, especially on a console connected to a TV. Online multiplayer may have been expecting too much, but it’s not unreasonable to ask for some split-screen action or something of the like.

It’s not altogether surprising — added functionality isn’t common within Nintendo retro releases, and doing that would likely divert resources from putting out these titles in the first place. It just doesn’t bode well for features that would make Nintendo die-hards melt, like the added levels in the GBA release of Super Mario Bros. 3.

The Game Boy Advance, seen here in its SP form, was the last in Nintendo's Game Boy line of handheld systems before the release of the Nintendo DS in 2004.

Nintendo released this morning its list of initial Game Boy Advance titles it’s making available on Wii U starting April 3. And it’s glorious.

There’s at least one heavy hitter coming out each Thursday, a departure Nintendo’s tendency to release its back catalog on its Virtual Console at a slow trickle. Early 3DS adopters will recognize many of these titles as part of the Ambassador Program, but Advance Wars, Golden Sun and Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga have yet to be released on a current platform.

Nintendo had previously announcedMetroid Fusion, Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga and Yoshi’s Island: Super Mario Advance 3 would come to Wii U in April, but it wasn’t clear exactly when they’d arrive or what other titles would accompany them.

The incoming GBA games will cost $7 to $8, falling in a similar price range as Super Nintendo titles.

Also included in next month’s releases is the original version of Super Mario Bros. 3 for Wii U and 3DS, coming out April 17.